YANGON – Myanmar has been making efforts to promote its international tourism market, targeting a tourist arrival of 1 million in the present 2009-10 fiscal year which began in April, sources with the Union of Myanmar Travel Association (UMTA) said today.

The organization will work with international travel agencies and take part in international travel shows being held in neighboring countries and Europe for tourism promotion, UMTA officials said, adding that other measures taken in the move include appealing to world travelers to join traditional festivals of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities.

The association also urged cooperation among domestic travel companies, hotels and restaurants, tourist guides and transportation companies for the move.

The UMTA and the Myanmar Marking Committee (MMC) joined a five- day Thailand Travel Mart plus 2009-TTM 2009 Bangkok held from June 3 to 7.

There are some other international travel shows reported to be held during this year in addition to Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2009. They are “Leisure 2009” in Russia in late September, “ITB Asia 2009” in Singapore in late October and “World Travel Market 2009” in England in the second week of November.

Myanmar’s tourism business started to drop near the end of 2007 and continued in 2008 during which deadly cyclone Nargis was experienced. Moreover, the global financial crisis, which sparked in late 2008, also delayed Myanmar’s tourism development.

The tourism authorities are working hard to promote the country ‘s international tourism market for the revival of its tourism industry.

According to official statistics, tourist arrivals in Myanmar in 2008 totaled over 260,000.